The Chainsmokers On Music, Love, Money, Coldplay, Ambani's Pre Wedding & India | FO 211 Raj Shamani
with Alex Pall & Drew Taggart
Executive Summary
Alex Pall and Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers sit down with Raj Shamani for a candid conversation about the band's journey and their lives beyond music. They explain the unglamorous origin of the name (and why Drew is not the original Chainsmoker), how their throwaway track Selfie changed their finances overnight, the Malibu studio session where Chris Martin helped create Something Just Like This, and why their first-ever song was with Priyanka Chopra. They talk about playing the Ambani pre-wedding, loving Indian festival crowds, and wanting to work with Ram Charan. Beyond music: their venture fund Mantis, why they think only two types of startups win in India, the wellness industry's dream-selling, art as the last level of wealth, and the 15-minute opening slot that started it all.
Key Takeaways
The Chainsmokers name was not a strategy, and Drew is not the original member
The band was started by Alex and a member named Rhett; when Rhett left for a solo project, Drew joined. The name itself came from smoking, not deliberation: starting mattered more than naming.
Stage names protect the person behind the act
They see an artist name as a character you put on, which keeps your personal name for yourself - and a band name survives members coming and going, unlike 'Alex and Drew'.
Selfie was a joke track that paid two years of rent
Before their viral hit, Drew was an art gallery receptionist with no savings while his friends became lawyers and doctors. Selfie was made to amuse the internet; the record deal that followed meant he could stop worrying about rent. They call it a necessary evil.
Something Just Like This began with a 3-day notice to Malibu
At the peak of Closer, Chris Martin's team summoned them to Malibu's Woodshed studio. After the moment seemed to pass at dinner, Chris heard their Roses-Closer-style idea, cancelled his Uber, plugged in a mic and started dancing around the room writing lyrics.
Their first-ever song was with Priyanka Chopra
Before they had a sound or following, they released a track with Priyanka Chopra as the first Chainsmokers song - a strange accident of timing they still find ridiculous.
India wins on trust, scale or luxury - not the middle
Their read of India: an aspirational, trust-deficient market where only two startup types win - those serving 1.4 billion people at economies of scale, or premium luxury. Brands like Tata win by compounding trust across categories.
A 15-minute opening slot at a shut-down venue was their break
Their first gig was a 15-minute opener at an iconic 3,000-cap venue that got raided by cops the night after the Drake-Chris Brown fight; they played to about 16 people and treated it as the best opportunity they had gotten.
The Conversation Breakdown
Why the name, and why Drew is not the original Chainsmoker
⏱ Untimed topicThe band began as Alex and Rhett; Drew joined after Rhett left. The name came from smoking with zero deliberation - starting mattered more than naming, and most names become good through the quality of the work behind them. They discuss stage names as self-protective characters and domain squatters who buy names in anticipation of fame, like x.com ending up with Elon Musk.
Ambani's pre-wedding and the Indian wedding experience
⏱ Untimed topicThey played the Ambani pre-wedding celebrations (the Udaipur/Switzerland one, not the Rihanna one) and call it probably the coolest wedding they have been to, admiring the pride and scale of Indian wedding culture. Both say they would want a big wedding themselves.
Love, marriage and the Range Rover story
⏱ Untimed topicA detour into relationships: the claim that investor-founder relationships outlast the average five-year US marriage, and the theory that relationships work better when one person loves more - balanced by complementary strengths. Plus how their music made Range Rover famous in India without the brand noticing.
Life before and after Selfie went viral
⏱ Untimed topicDrew recalls being an art gallery receptionist with no future and no savings while friends became finance guys, lawyers and doctors. Selfie - a silly Melbourne-bounce-style joke - went super viral, landed a record deal, and he remembers thinking in the shower: I can pay my rent for two years. They call the song a necessary evil despite its cringe.
How the Coldplay collaboration actually happened
⏱ Untimed topicIn 2017, mid-Closer run, Chris Martin's team gave them three days' notice to cancel everything and come to Malibu's Woodshed studio. After the window seemed missed at dinner, Chris heard their idea for a Roses-Closer-style track, cancelled his Uber, plugged in a mic and danced around the room writing - that became Something Just Like This.
Priyanka Chopra, Indian festivals and dream collaborations
⏱ Untimed topicTheir technically-first song was with Priyanka Chopra, released before they had a sound or following. They rave about Indian festival crowds (Sunburn Goa, university shows), criticize artists who jump on a hot market with a lazy beat, and geek out over RRR - they want to collaborate with Ram Charan and ask what a nascent Bollywood action fan should watch next.
Mantis VC, health hype, art as wealth, and India startup advice
⏱ Untimed topicBeyond music: their early-stage fund Mantis grew from private investing into a business they are obsessed with. They mock the wellness industry for selling the dream of health while conceding placebo works, discuss blue zones and germs building immunity, art collecting as the last level of wealth (buy to collect, not to sell), and advise that India rewards only economies-of-scale or premium-luxury startups in a trust-deficient, aspirational market. They close with their first gig: a 15-minute opening slot at a 3,000-cap venue the night after it was raided, played to about 16 people.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Start before the name
Names become good names through the quality of the work behind them; deliberating over branding is a delay tactic, while starting creates the thing the name will mean.
Necessary-evil breakout
A first viral hit can be off-brand and partly regrettable yet still the door to everything after; the task is to convert the attention into work you are proud of.
Barbell market strategy
In an aspirational, trust-deficient market like India, the middle loses: win by being cheap enough to serve 1.4 billion people at scale, or by serving the premium luxury end - nothing in between.
Trust compounding
Brands that win trust in one category can sell almost anything (Tata sells cars, salt and apps); early startups should optimize for building trust, not for selling.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Start the thing before perfecting the name: pick a working title today and put the energy into the work that will make the name mean something.
- ✓Audit your breakout moment: if an early, imperfect win opened doors for you, list what it made possible and what you still owe that momentum.
- ✓Test your market position: if you are building for India or a similar market, ask honestly whether you are an economies-of-scale play or a premium-luxury play - and stop drifting in the middle.
- ✓Build trust before selling: choose one concrete way your product or personal brand can earn trust this quarter without asking for anything in return.
- ✓Take the 15-minute slot: accept the small, unglamorous opening in front of you - the Chainsmokers' first gig played to about 16 people in a shut-down venue.
Notable Quotes
“I'm not the original Chainsmoker. The Chainsmokers was started by Alex and this kid named Rhett”
“it was more important to just like start doing things than worry about the name.”
“I can pay my rent for like two years and not worry about rent.”
“It was a necessary evil.”
“Honestly, the festivals in India are really great. I'm not even bullshitting you.”
“nothing's worse than just like jumping on something that's hot and being like, yeah, here's a beat.”
“you buy it because you collect it.”
The One Thing to Remember
One thing to remember: Names and reputations become good based on the quality of the work behind them - start doing things instead of deliberating over what to call them.